Battle of the Douve River

The Battle of the Douve River occurred on 9 June 1944 during Operation Overlord in World War II. The US 4th Infantry Division and US 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment succeeded in pushing the Germans back towards Carentan, as well as destroying a bridge over the Douve River that was vital to the possibility of a German armored counterattack.

The objective of the 502nd was to push past the train wrecks and drop the railroad bridge into the water, as this would prevent the German panzers from crossing the Douve to counterattack against the Americans. The M4 Sherman tanks pushed the Germans from their cover, and the Germans were then fired upon by flanking American soldiers. Two German panzers were also destroyed in the battle, and the pinned-down German soldiers were forced back. The Americans then succeeded in blowing the bridge with dynamite, preventing the Germans from using it for a counterattack.